BERKELEY — A birthday party ended in tragedy early Tuesday morning when an apartment deck collapsed, killing five young people and injuring eight others in downtown Berkeley, officials said.

Many of those dead or injured were young people from Ireland, university students who were apparently in the country on a work-visa program.

The injured people have critical, life-threatening wounds, according to Officer Jennifer Coats, a spokeswoman with the Berkeley Police Department.

The balcony gave way about 12:45 a.m. Tuesday at the Library Gardens complex, on Kittredge Street near Shattuck Avenue.

The Irish government said Tuesday that “a number of young Irish citizens have lost their lives” in the collapse and several others were seriously injured.

“My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the deceased and those who have been injured in this appalling accident,” Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan said in a statement.

Dan Sullivan, 21, a University of Dublin student who has been in the country for three weeks, lives on the first floor of the complex.

“We just heard a bang in the middle of night and shouting,” he said. Sullivan wasn’t at the party, but knew someone there.

“It’s just a shocker, it’s crazy,” said Sullivan. He is a laborer and said the Irish students were also workers, some in local restaurants.

The complex has only two balconies on the Kittredge Street side — on the third and fourth floors.

Mark Neville, another student from Ireland who lives in the building, said he was outside when he heard commotion.

“I saw rubble on the street, and a bunch of students crying,” he said.

Police were working with both fire officials and building inspectors to try to determine what caused the accident, Coats said.

“We don’t know what happened. Officers on scene are talking with people,” she said.

No information was available on identities of the victims, including their ages and gender.

The building has apartments in the upper floors and retails shops at ground level.

Flanagan said the Irish consul general in San Francisco would be providing assistance to those affected.

Gerald Robinson, 65, had attended a movie nearby and was sitting a car when he saw ambulances. He went to see what had happened and some frantic young people flagged him down and asked him for a ride to the hospital. He took the man and woman to Highland Hospital in Oakland, where many people gathered. He stayed for about an hour and said it was “a very emotional” scene.

BERKELEY — A birthday party ended in tragedy early Tuesday morning when an apartment deck collapsed, killing five young people and injuring eight others in downtown Berkeley, officials said.

Many of those dead or injured were young people from Ireland, university students who were apparently in the country on a work-visa program.

The injured people have critical, life-threatening wounds, according to Officer Jennifer Coats, a spokeswoman with the Berkeley Police Department.

The balcony gave way about 12:45 a.m. Tuesday at the Library Gardens complex, on Kittredge Street near Shattuck Avenue.

The Irish government said Tuesday that “a number of young Irish citizens have lost their lives” in the collapse and several others were seriously injured.

“My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the deceased and those who have been injured in this appalling accident,” Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan said in a statement.

Dan Sullivan, 21, a University of Dublin student who has been in the country for three weeks, lives on the first floor of the complex.

“We just heard a bang in the middle of night and shouting,” he said. Sullivan wasn’t at the party, but knew someone there.

“It’s just a shocker, it’s crazy,” said Sullivan. He is a laborer and said the Irish students were also workers, some in local restaurants.

The complex has only two balconies on the Kittredge Street side — on the third and fourth floors.

Mark Neville, another student from Ireland who lives in the building, said he was outside when he heard commotion.

“I saw rubble on the street, and a bunch of students crying,” he said.

Police were working with both fire officials and building inspectors to try to determine what caused the accident, Coats said.

“We don’t know what happened. Officers on scene are talking with people,” she said.

No information was available on identities of the victims, including their ages and gender.

The building has apartments in the upper floors and retails shops at ground level.

Flanagan said the Irish consul general in San Francisco would be providing assistance to those affected.

Gerald Robinson, 65, had attended a movie nearby and was sitting a car when he saw ambulances. He went to see what had happened and some frantic young people flagged him down and asked him for a ride to the hospital. He took the man and woman to Highland Hospital in Oakland, where many people gathered. He stayed for about an hour and said it was “a very emotional” scene.

BERKELEY — A birthday party ended in tragedy early Tuesday morning when an apartment deck collapsed, killing five young people and injuring eight others in downtown Berkeley, officials said.

Many of those dead or injured were young people from Ireland, university students who were apparently in the country on a work-visa program.

The injured people have critical, life-threatening wounds, according to Officer Jennifer Coats, a spokeswoman with the Berkeley Police Department.

The balcony gave way about 12:45 a.m. Tuesday at the Library Gardens complex, on Kittredge Street near Shattuck Avenue.

The Irish government said Tuesday that “a number of young Irish citizens have lost their lives” in the collapse and several others were seriously injured.

“My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the deceased and those who have been injured in this appalling accident,” Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan said in a statement.

Dan Sullivan, 21, a University of Dublin student who has been in the country for three weeks, lives on the first floor of the complex.

“We just heard a bang in the middle of night and shouting,” he said. Sullivan wasn’t at the party, but knew someone there.

“It’s just a shocker, it’s crazy,” said Sullivan. He is a laborer and said the Irish students were also workers, some in local restaurants.

The complex has only two balconies on the Kittredge Street side — on the third and fourth floors.

Mark Neville, another student from Ireland who lives in the building, said he was outside when he heard commotion.

“I saw rubble on the street, and a bunch of students crying,” he said.

Police were working with both fire officials and building inspectors to try to determine what caused the accident, Coats said.

“We don’t know what happened. Officers on scene are talking with people,” she said.

No information was available on identities of the victims, including their ages and gender.

The building has apartments in the upper floors and retails shops at ground level.

Flanagan said the Irish consul general in San Francisco would be providing assistance to those affected.

Gerald Robinson, 65, had attended a movie nearby and was sitting a car when he saw ambulances. He went to see what had happened and some frantic young people flagged him down and asked him for a ride to the hospital. He took the man and woman to Highland Hospital in Oakland, where many people gathered. He stayed for about an hour and said it was “a very emotional” scene.

BERKELEY — A birthday party ended in tragedy early Tuesday morning when an apartment deck collapsed, killing five young people and injuring eight others in downtown Berkeley, officials said.

Many of those dead or injured were young people from Ireland, university students who were apparently in the country on a work-visa program.

The injured people have critical, life-threatening wounds, according to Officer Jennifer Coats, a spokeswoman with the Berkeley Police Department.

The balcony gave way about 12:45 a.m. Tuesday at the Library Gardens complex, on Kittredge Street near Shattuck Avenue.

The Irish government said Tuesday that “a number of young Irish citizens have lost their lives” in the collapse and several others were seriously injured.

“My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the deceased and those who have been injured in this appalling accident,” Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan said in a statement.

Dan Sullivan, 21, a University of Dublin student who has been in the country for three weeks, lives on the first floor of the complex.

“We just heard a bang in the middle of night and shouting,” he said. Sullivan wasn’t at the party, but knew someone there.

“It’s just a shocker, it’s crazy,” said Sullivan. He is a laborer and said the Irish students were also workers, some in local restaurants.

The complex has only two balconies on the Kittredge Street side — on the third and fourth floors.

Mark Neville, another student from Ireland who lives in the building, said he was outside when he heard commotion.

“I saw rubble on the street, and a bunch of students crying,” he said.

Police were working with both fire officials and building inspectors to try to determine what caused the accident, Coats said.

“We don’t know what happened. Officers on scene are talking with people,” she said.

No information was available on identities of the victims, including their ages and gender.

The building has apartments in the upper floors and retails shops at ground level.

Flanagan said the Irish consul general in San Francisco would be providing assistance to those affected.

Gerald Robinson, 65, had attended a movie nearby and was sitting a car when he saw ambulances. He went to see what had happened and some frantic young people flagged him down and asked him for a ride to the hospital. He took the man and woman to Highland Hospital in Oakland, where many people gathered. He stayed for about an hour and said it was “a very emotional” scene.

BERKELEY — A birthday party ended in tragedy early Tuesday morning when an apartment deck collapsed, killing five young people and injuring eight others in downtown Berkeley, officials said.

Many of those dead or injured were young people from Ireland, university students who were apparently in the country on a work-visa program.

The injured people have critical, life-threatening wounds, according to Officer Jennifer Coats, a spokeswoman with the Berkeley Police Department.

The balcony gave way about 12:45 a.m. Tuesday at the Library Gardens complex, on Kittredge Street near Shattuck Avenue.

The Irish government said Tuesday that “a number of young Irish citizens have lost their lives” in the collapse and several others were seriously injured.

“My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the deceased and those who have been injured in this appalling accident,” Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan said in a statement.

Dan Sullivan, 21, a University of Dublin student who has been in the country for three weeks, lives on the first floor of the complex.

“We just heard a bang in the middle of night and shouting,” he said. Sullivan wasn’t at the party, but knew someone there.

“It’s just a shocker, it’s crazy,” said Sullivan. He is a laborer and said the Irish students were also workers, some in local restaurants.

The complex has only two balconies on the Kittredge Street side — on the third and fourth floors.

Mark Neville, another student from Ireland who lives in the building, said he was outside when he heard commotion.

“I saw rubble on the street, and a bunch of students crying,” he said.

Police were working with both fire officials and building inspectors to try to determine what caused the accident, Coats said.

“We don’t know what happened. Officers on scene are talking with people,” she said.

No information was available on identities of the victims, including their ages and gender.

The building has apartments in the upper floors and retails shops at ground level.

Flanagan said the Irish consul general in San Francisco would be providing assistance to those affected.

Gerald Robinson, 65, had attended a movie nearby and was sitting a car when he saw ambulances. He went to see what had happened and some frantic young people flagged him down and asked him for a ride to the hospital. He took the man and woman to Highland Hospital in Oakland, where many people gathered. He stayed for about an hour and said it was “a very emotional” scene.

BERKELEY — A birthday party ended in tragedy early Tuesday morning when an apartment deck collapsed, killing five young people and injuring eight others in downtown Berkeley, officials said.

Many of those dead or injured were young people from Ireland, university students who were apparently in the country on a work-visa program.

The injured people have critical, life-threatening wounds, according to Officer Jennifer Coats, a spokeswoman with the Berkeley Police Department.

The balcony gave way about 12:45 a.m. Tuesday at the Library Gardens complex, on Kittredge Street near Shattuck Avenue.

The Irish government said Tuesday that “a number of young Irish citizens have lost their lives” in the collapse and several others were seriously injured.

“My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the deceased and those who have been injured in this appalling accident,” Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan said in a statement.

Dan Sullivan, 21, a University of Dublin student who has been in the country for three weeks, lives on the first floor of the complex.

“We just heard a bang in the middle of night and shouting,” he said. Sullivan wasn’t at the party, but knew someone there.

“It’s just a shocker, it’s crazy,” said Sullivan. He is a laborer and said the Irish students were also workers, some in local restaurants.

The complex has only two balconies on the Kittredge Street side — on the third and fourth floors.

Mark Neville, another student from Ireland who lives in the building, said he was outside when he heard commotion.

“I saw rubble on the street, and a bunch of students crying,” he said.

Police were working with both fire officials and building inspectors to try to determine what caused the accident, Coats said.

“We don’t know what happened. Officers on scene are talking with people,” she said.

No information was available on identities of the victims, including their ages and gender.

The building has apartments in the upper floors and retails shops at ground level.

Flanagan said the Irish consul general in San Francisco would be providing assistance to those affected.

Gerald Robinson, 65, had attended a movie nearby and was sitting a car when he saw ambulances. He went to see what had happened and some frantic young people flagged him down and asked him for a ride to the hospital. He took the man and woman to Highland Hospital in Oakland, where many people gathered. He stayed for about an hour and said it was “a very emotional” scene.

BERKELEY — A birthday party ended in tragedy early Tuesday morning when an apartment deck collapsed, killing five young people and injuring eight others in downtown Berkeley, officials said.

Many of those dead or injured were young people from Ireland, university students who were apparently in the country on a work-visa program.

The injured people have critical, life-threatening wounds, according to Officer Jennifer Coats, a spokeswoman with the Berkeley Police Department.

The balcony gave way about 12:45 a.m. Tuesday at the Library Gardens complex, on Kittredge Street near Shattuck Avenue.

The Irish government said Tuesday that “a number of young Irish citizens have lost their lives” in the collapse and several others were seriously injured.

“My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the deceased and those who have been injured in this appalling accident,” Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan said in a statement.

Dan Sullivan, 21, a University of Dublin student who has been in the country for three weeks, lives on the first floor of the complex.

“We just heard a bang in the middle of night and shouting,” he said. Sullivan wasn’t at the party, but knew someone there.

“It’s just a shocker, it’s crazy,” said Sullivan. He is a laborer and said the Irish students were also workers, some in local restaurants.

The complex has only two balconies on the Kittredge Street side — on the third and fourth floors.

Mark Neville, another student from Ireland who lives in the building, said he was outside when he heard commotion.

“I saw rubble on the street, and a bunch of students crying,” he said.

Police were working with both fire officials and building inspectors to try to determine what caused the accident, Coats said.

“We don’t know what happened. Officers on scene are talking with people,” she said.

No information was available on identities of the victims, including their ages and gender.

The building has apartments in the upper floors and retails shops at ground level.

Flanagan said the Irish consul general in San Francisco would be providing assistance to those affected.

Gerald Robinson, 65, had attended a movie nearby and was sitting a car when he saw ambulances. He went to see what had happened and some frantic young people flagged him down and asked him for a ride to the hospital. He took the man and woman to Highland Hospital in Oakland, where many people gathered. He stayed for about an hour and said it was “a very emotional” scene.

BERKELEY — A birthday party ended in tragedy early Tuesday morning when an apartment deck collapsed, killing five young people and injuring eight others in downtown Berkeley, officials said.

Many of those dead or injured were young people from Ireland, university students who were apparently in the country on a work-visa program.

The injured people have critical, life-threatening wounds, according to Officer Jennifer Coats, a spokeswoman with the Berkeley Police Department.

The balcony gave way about 12:45 a.m. Tuesday at the Library Gardens complex, on Kittredge Street near Shattuck Avenue.

The Irish government said Tuesday that “a number of young Irish citizens have lost their lives” in the collapse and several others were seriously injured.

“My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the deceased and those who have been injured in this appalling accident,” Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan said in a statement.

Dan Sullivan, 21, a University of Dublin student who has been in the country for three weeks, lives on the first floor of the complex.

“We just heard a bang in the middle of night and shouting,” he said. Sullivan wasn’t at the party, but knew someone there.

“It’s just a shocker, it’s crazy,” said Sullivan. He is a laborer and said the Irish students were also workers, some in local restaurants.

The complex has only two balconies on the Kittredge Street side — on the third and fourth floors.

Mark Neville, another student from Ireland who lives in the building, said he was outside when he heard commotion.

“I saw rubble on the street, and a bunch of students crying,” he said.

Police were working with both fire officials and building inspectors to try to determine what caused the accident, Coats said.

“We don’t know what happened. Officers on scene are talking with people,” she said.

No information was available on identities of the victims, including their ages and gender.

The building has apartments in the upper floors and retails shops at ground level.

Flanagan said the Irish consul general in San Francisco would be providing assistance to those affected.

Gerald Robinson, 65, had attended a movie nearby and was sitting a car when he saw ambulances. He went to see what had happened and some frantic young people flagged him down and asked him for a ride to the hospital. He took the man and woman to Highland Hospital in Oakland, where many people gathered. He stayed for about an hour and said it was “a very emotional” scene.

BERKELEY — A birthday party ended in tragedy early Tuesday morning when an apartment deck collapsed, killing five young people and injuring eight others in downtown Berkeley, officials said.

Many of those dead or injured were young people from Ireland, university students who were apparently in the country on a work-visa program.

The injured people have critical, life-threatening wounds, according to Officer Jennifer Coats, a spokeswoman with the Berkeley Police Department.

The balcony gave way about 12:45 a.m. Tuesday at the Library Gardens complex, on Kittredge Street near Shattuck Avenue.

The Irish government said Tuesday that “a number of young Irish citizens have lost their lives” in the collapse and several others were seriously injured.

“My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the deceased and those who have been injured in this appalling accident,” Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan said in a statement.

Dan Sullivan, 21, a University of Dublin student who has been in the country for three weeks, lives on the first floor of the complex.

“We just heard a bang in the middle of night and shouting,” he said. Sullivan wasn’t at the party, but knew someone there.

“It’s just a shocker, it’s crazy,” said Sullivan. He is a laborer and said the Irish students were also workers, some in local restaurants.

The complex has only two balconies on the Kittredge Street side — on the third and fourth floors.

Mark Neville, another student from Ireland who lives in the building, said he was outside when he heard commotion.

“I saw rubble on the street, and a bunch of students crying,” he said.

Police were working with both fire officials and building inspectors to try to determine what caused the accident, Coats said.

“We don’t know what happened. Officers on scene are talking with people,” she said.

No information was available on identities of the victims, including their ages and gender.

The building has apartments in the upper floors and retails shops at ground level.

Flanagan said the Irish consul general in San Francisco would be providing assistance to those affected.

Gerald Robinson, 65, had attended a movie nearby and was sitting a car when he saw ambulances. He went to see what had happened and some frantic young people flagged him down and asked him for a ride to the hospital. He took the man and woman to Highland Hospital in Oakland, where many people gathered. He stayed for about an hour and said it was “a very emotional” scene.

BERKELEY — A birthday party ended in tragedy early Tuesday morning when an apartment deck collapsed, killing five young people and injuring eight others in downtown Berkeley, officials said.

Many of those dead or injured were young people from Ireland, university students who were apparently in the country on a work-visa program.

The injured people have critical, life-threatening wounds, according to Officer Jennifer Coats, a spokeswoman with the Berkeley Police Department.

The balcony gave way about 12:45 a.m. Tuesday at the Library Gardens complex, on Kittredge Street near Shattuck Avenue.

The Irish government said Tuesday that “a number of young Irish citizens have lost their lives” in the collapse and several others were seriously injured.

“My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the deceased and those who have been injured in this appalling accident,” Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan said in a statement.

Dan Sullivan, 21, a University of Dublin student who has been in the country for three weeks, lives on the first floor of the complex.

“We just heard a bang in the middle of night and shouting,” he said. Sullivan wasn’t at the party, but knew someone there.

“It’s just a shocker, it’s crazy,” said Sullivan. He is a laborer and said the Irish students were also workers, some in local restaurants.

The complex has only two balconies on the Kittredge Street side — on the third and fourth floors.

Mark Neville, another student from Ireland who lives in the building, said he was outside when he heard commotion.

“I saw rubble on the street, and a bunch of students crying,” he said.

Police were working with both fire officials and building inspectors to try to determine what caused the accident, Coats said.

“We don’t know what happened. Officers on scene are talking with people,” she said.

No information was available on identities of the victims, including their ages and gender.

The building has apartments in the upper floors and retails shops at ground level.

Flanagan said the Irish consul general in San Francisco would be providing assistance to those affected.

Gerald Robinson, 65, had attended a movie nearby and was sitting a car when he saw ambulances. He went to see what had happened and some frantic young people flagged him down and asked him for a ride to the hospital. He took the man and woman to Highland Hospital in Oakland, where many people gathered. He stayed for about an hour and said it was “a very emotional” scene.

BERKELEY — A birthday party ended in tragedy early Tuesday morning when an apartment deck collapsed, killing five young people and injuring eight others in downtown Berkeley, officials said.

Many of those dead or injured were young people from Ireland, university students who were apparently in the country on a work-visa program.

The injured people have critical, life-threatening wounds, according to Officer Jennifer Coats, a spokeswoman with the Berkeley Police Department.

The balcony gave way about 12:45 a.m. Tuesday at the Library Gardens complex, on Kittredge Street near Shattuck Avenue.

The Irish government said Tuesday that “a number of young Irish citizens have lost their lives” in the collapse and several others were seriously injured.

“My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the deceased and those who have been injured in this appalling accident,” Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan said in a statement.

Dan Sullivan, 21, a University of Dublin student who has been in the country for three weeks, lives on the first floor of the complex.

“We just heard a bang in the middle of night and shouting,” he said. Sullivan wasn’t at the party, but knew someone there.

“It’s just a shocker, it’s crazy,” said Sullivan. He is a laborer and said the Irish students were also workers, some in local restaurants.

The complex has only two balconies on the Kittredge Street side — on the third and fourth floors.

Mark Neville, another student from Ireland who lives in the building, said he was outside when he heard commotion.

“I saw rubble on the street, and a bunch of students crying,” he said.

Police were working with both fire officials and building inspectors to try to determine what caused the accident, Coats said.

“We don’t know what happened. Officers on scene are talking with people,” she said.

No information was available on identities of the victims, including their ages and gender.

The building has apartments in the upper floors and retails shops at ground level.

Flanagan said the Irish consul general in San Francisco would be providing assistance to those affected.

Gerald Robinson, 65, had attended a movie nearby and was sitting a car when he saw ambulances. He went to see what had happened and some frantic young people flagged him down and asked him for a ride to the hospital. He took the man and woman to Highland Hospital in Oakland, where many people gathered. He stayed for about an hour and said it was “a very emotional” scene.